The tournament wis lenched in the European simmer o 1995 on the ineetiative o the auld Five Nations Comattee for tae mak a new level o profeesional cross mairch competeetion. The current chaimpions is the Irish rugby team, Munster that beat Biarritz in the feenal at Cardiff.

The ither twa places in the 24 team tournament is allocate as follaes:

Ane frae Fraunce, England or Italy; the place is allocate tae the kintra that's team progressed faurer in the afore gane saison's cup. Syne Toulouse wan the 2004-05 cup, thare wis sieven French teams in the 2005-06 competeetion. Seemilar, thare will be sieven French teams in the 2006-07 competeetion, courtesy o Biarritz makkin it tae the cup feenal agin the Irish side Munster.

The ither team is the winner o a pleyaff in Italy agin

(a) the best-placed team in the Celtic League that haesna syne qualifee'd, an

Ilk nation sets its ain criteria for qualification for the Heineken Cup, but maun gie places tae the Cup winners an the winners o the European Chailenge Cup. Teams that daesna qualifee for the Heineken Cup can enter the European Chailenge Cup.

It maun be in the same kintra as the designatit "hame" team. Houaniver, the Buird o the ERC (European Rugby Cup) that organises the competeetion, micht allou exceptions. In 2005-06, Biarritz, locate in a ceety less nor 20 km fae the Spanis mairch, wis alloued tae haud a hauf feenal ower the mairch at Estadio Anoeta in San Sebastián.

The venue maun be able tae haud at least 20,000.

The feenal is hauden at a predetermined site, neist saison it's Twickenham